Conservative or Liberal, Deist or Pagan, Jersey transplant or Lehigh Valley native, we're all in this mess together. Let's talk. Let us do no harm. Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne

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Tuesday, March 03, 2015

Lehigh County is in hot water with the Freedom From Religion Foundation because its seal includes a Latin cross. That group claims that the cross might violate the Establishment Clause because it seemingly endorses Christianity over other religions.

Well, Bethlehem Township's seal includes a cross, too. It's part of a bizarre seal that depicts a farm in a township with virtually no farms, along with corn cobs and what some children far outside of Bethlehem Township would recognize as wheat.

The cross, which looks like a glow-in-the-dark model, is right beneath an Aladdin's lamp. Some might call that the Lamp of Knowledge, but if you rub it, Melissa Shafer pops out and grants you three wishes.

16 comments:

Bethlehem Township has become quite diverse over the past 20 years. Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Atheists, and Christians populate that community. The seal can be viewed as offensive to non believers in Christ. As BO mentions, the community is also non agrarian anymore. Take out the Cross of Christ and the farm references and replace with a car for traffic and a tract built Zawarski home for urban sprawl and there you have it, a nice seal representative of what the Township has acutally become. LOL

Lower Mac's has a barn also eventhough we're losing our historic barns to the demolition ball at a rate of one a year. But we balance that with a church, a school and a man carrying 2x4's to a single family home. Seriously.

" I guess we need to ban plus signs in our schools like they've done in Israel. Looks like religious propaganda to me"

Actually, Israel does do this, I just learned by snopsing this claim. It is silly. But Israel is not America. It exists to favor one religion. Comparing Israel to the US on this point is a false equivalency.

Actually, Israel does do this, I just learned by snopsing this claim. It is silly. But Israel is not America. It exists to favor one religion. Comparing Israel to the US on this point is a false equivalency.

@1:46,That "one religion" encompasses many different variations, just as there are variations of Judaism and Islam. If you can't be tolerant of another faith and dismiss the symbolism as nothing more than a historical reflection, go to another part of the world.

What do "variations" have to do with it? IF it was a Muslim crescent moon, I'd have the same issue. It would be favoring Islam. To address the "historical reflection", that is fair but really not part of what I stated above. I stated the obvious - that the seal is favoring one religion - I never said it should stay or go - that is for the courts to decide.

By the way, I am an atheist and I along with the other millions of American atheists have just as much right to NOT go to "another part of the world" as you. We are American citizens, a country that believes in secular government. It sounds like it is YOU that should be looking for another government that governs with religion.

@2:18,It's thin skinned individuals who are "offended" by any mention of religion. If you choose to follow or not follow an idealism, I take no umbrage, and don't care. It's when you force your opinion upon others that the symbol is offensive is where I draw the line. The "cross" symbol is only religious in nature to those who choose it to be so, and to the whiners who only complain to hear themselves talk. The symbol itself doesn't insist that you embrace or refrain from the potential existence of a superior being. That's something for each of us to deal with in a personal manner.

The other Ron is correct about Bethlehem. The city seal has a cross (with a book on it, I assume the Bible) the city seal is used for all three emergency service branches but instead if a circle it's an oval and the background color changes for each department. That said I think people getting upset over what has been on a seal for years is a waste of time.

Yea right a sngle family home with five bedrooms and two families in each room¿ I would say there is a banking and realestate connection locally¿ But than with all the quality housing blight produced were alcohol at the sack o suds and strip joints are the main advertisment attraction¿ what a false sack of goods yet undert he local watch various sacks can be bought not only on the corner but also in the boodegas everywhere¿

This is Americas new church Our Lady of Get High and than go perform at strip joint¿

"Upset" is a loaded word used to belittle the very rational observation of state condoned religious symbolism. We are either a secular government or we aren't. If we are truly secular, I see no problem with systematically eradicating religious symbolism from state owned property.